JDate Reviews

JDate is a dating website from the Spark Network exclusively aimed at Jewish singles. The matchmaking service was first founded in 1997, making it one of the very first online dating services. The site underwent many changes in these years, which has helped it remain one of the top choices for Jewish daters. The site sports a pleasing design and an advanced matchmaking system that shows an exact percentage of how well two lovebirds match together. There are some interesting customization options for your profile, and by choosing a Premium subscription you are able to achieve a more prestigious position and get more spotlight exposure than others. JDate is free to be enjoyed for everyone, but keep in mind that only the option to browse is complementary, as you need a premium membership in order to access all features.

Features

JDate is a proud member of the Spark Network, meaning that it shares similarities with other dating site under the flag. The same polished features and overall design are passed down to every site Spark runs, providing a quality experience for the Jewish community specifically. The dating site holds a number of extras like a synagogue directory and Jewish holiday calendar to help you practice your religion, combined with your dating ventures. These are part of JLife, an extension of JDate that helps you in learning more about your beliefs and setting out plans to go to events with other Jewish singles.

Getting Started

Signing up to JDate is very easy, and new members can quickly create a profile by providing basic information like their gender, sexual preference, height, ethnicity and email address. As it is a Jewish dating service, members are asked to declare what Jewish denomination they are. Non-Jewish people can become members too, but they must specify whether they are willing to convert or not. JDate also has other features that are specific to Jewish singles; members can specify whether they keep kosher and how often they visit their synagogue, for example.

JDate has a very welcoming design, and you’ll soon find out how easy it is to use it. The menu system isn’t overcomplicated, and all the key features can be found on the first try. The navigation is dynamic, and there are plenty of opportunities to give some depth to your profile. We recommend writing a salient introduction and answering some of the pre-written questions, because they increase your matchmaking chances. JDate has some innovative takes on profile presentations; we especially liked that the hobbies and interests are expressed visually with some pictures.

Matching System

JDate’s matchmaking system analyzes several factors when comparing two profiles. The more details you feature on your page, the more likely you’ll have something in common with your partner. There is also a matching score displayed on every profile. JDate puts its algorithm to good use by delivering a new list of attractive singles to your virtual doorstep each day. In case you are unsatisfied with the recommendations, you can either launch a manual search by adjusting the options (including your date’s age, distance, habits etc.), or go full Tinder mode, and expect randomly picked partners with the Secret Admirer function. Then you can decide for yourself whether to like the person or discard the possibility of dating. Upon mutual liking, JDate will notify both of you.

Communication

The site has a simplistic approach to communication. In case you find someone sympathetic and seemingly match perfectly, then you need a premium account in order to send a message or start live chatting. Your only option with a free account is to send Flirts, which are generic notifications, similar to poking someone on Facebook. Unfortunately, you can’t send custom quotes alongside a Flirt. For those who are struggling to stand out and gather the attention they deserve, the system offers the spotlight system, where they are highlighted as a special pick in other singles’ main page, ensuring that no one will pass by you without noticing.

Mobile

Mobile support is one of JDate’s strengths, although it has its fair share of problems. The site is available through the browser of your small-screen device, but you hardly need it, since the downloadable app for iOS and Android does the trick so much better. Speaking of the app, it differs from the web version by compressing the menus to fit the touchscreen better. Navigation doesn’t require too much tapping or swiping. We recommend signing up from your computer, though, since it’s much easier to set all the profile info using your mouse and keyboard. This is also necessary because the app seems to have problems properly registering any changes in the settings menu, providing incorrect match results. It may also occur that pictures with an unfitting size are stretched out or distorted.

Pricing

JDate’s pricing is a bit different from what we’ve seen with other dating sites in the Spark Network. Unlike Christian Mingle, for example, this service presents users with additional benefits, besides the usual plans. There are three Standard plans for the purpose of communicating with matches at will. The month-by-month plan charges $39.99 with each renewal.

The quarterly plan is a bit easier on your wallet with only $29.99 per month (billed in one payment of $89.97). The semi-annual plan is the most cost-effective choice on the longer run, costing $19.99 per month (adding up to $119.94 for those six months). However, opting for the previously mentioned extra benefits included in the Premium plan, which will give you an elevated status and highlight your profile in searches, you need to pay $22.99 per month for half a year.

25% Discount on All Membership Plans at JDate

Enjoy an extra 25% discount on any membership plan offered with JDate. Subscribe for a Standard or Premium plan using this special promotional link and your membership fee will be reduced accordingly.

Customer Service

In case you run into a problem or have an urgent question, the team behind JDate (and other Spark Network dating sites in fact) is eager to provide help. The basic course of action involves you contacting them through a simple message submitted to the helpdesk. There is also an extended FAQ at your disposal, choke full of information. But honestly, if you really need help quickly, just ask the support team on live chat. Sometimes they even contact you if you linger on the help page too long, which comes in very handy.

Bottom Line

Testing JDate was an interesting experience. It has some strong points, but most of it comes from the fact that it’s the member of the Spark Network, and these are standard features among Spark sites. JDate is well-designed and stylish, thus browsing for dates is very pleasant for the eyes. The profile section is well-fleshed out, with some innovative parts here and there where you can answer quizzes or personalized questions. The matchmaking system does its job well, and members are informed of how many similar traits they share with their partner. And let’s not forget about JDate’s smartphone support, because the downloadable app is the cherry on the site’s cake. All in all, JDate is a competent dating service that may satisfy the need of most Jewish singles. Though the site boasts some unique features for Jewish daters that set JDate apart from other sites within the Spark Network, we feel that there’s no reason for them to charge higher subscription rates.

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Customer Reviews

Coming from someone who’s tried pretty much every worthy Jewish dating site out there (Jmatch, JWed, Jewish Cafe – many of which look rusty) I like JDate by far the most. Modern and easy to use website, and the same quality is reflected in the userbase.

Yep, Jdate is the worst dating service!!!!! DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE!!! Horrible customer service!!!! They would not cancel a membership when we couldn’t get to cancel the renewal due to a family tragedy… These are not jewish people running this company. Real jews wouldn’t do that!!!

BEWARE!! Jdate automatically renew your service without you agreeing to it and no warning either at the initiation of the membership or at the time of renewal!! This is a terrible way to run a business. They do not want to refund your fee and the customer service people are condescending and rude.

In the end, not being able to tell if someone you’re interested in is actually a member or not really limits the usefulness of JDate. Why send anyone a message when you don’t even know if they’ll ever see it?

I scammed JDate, this is what i did, i paid for the one month, then closed the bank account i paid from after the transaction went through. (It was a tcf account, i didnt need it anymore), when it was time for my one month subscription to end i figured if they auto billed me, there would be no account for them to collect money from, i did it to screw them, but i couldnt beleive what happend, even after the one month, i could still get in, they must have been billing a closed account, im still in sending messages today, its been over a year

Jdate has terrible customer service .Their website has been updated and if you have previously clicked on a tab saying cancel auto renew, that tab no longer exists and worse Jdate then auto renews your subscription without notice and don’t seem to care that they have taken your money without consent.. My advice is don’t waste your money and don’t let them get away with it as its just robbery. Contact your bank and get your money back

JDate is owned by a non-Jewish organization, Sparks Network of Utah, which has no knowledge of Judaism or Jewish practices of dating or ethics. My objection is not that they are not Jewish; it is they are ignorant. They believe Jews-for-Jesus who try to convert Jews through JDate have a right to be on the site. Additionally, as other posts have stated, they do automatically renew subscriptions and stop services if one notifies them of non-renewal before the subscription time is up!

JDate are sleazy thieves. They automatically renew your subscription without any warning beforehand and then refuse to refund it. Their service is horrible in any other way either. They are annoying and obnoxious. The last thing they care about is the members